One
might think that an offer to build squash courts and underwrite the
entire cost would be an easy sell to any university. With that
add the expertise and a willing, volunteer staff to support, form,
organize, develop and coach men’s and women’s teams at no cost.
Top it of with garnering the overwhelming support and encouragement of
virtually the entire collegiate squash family in supporting the entry
of a new school team into their competitive ranks. Sounds like a
slam-dunk, a no-brainer right?
“No thanks, this doesn’t fit into our “long-range plans.” says
Binghamton University. More about this marvelous long range plan
in a moment, but first, this is what the squash idea looks like.
Seeing opportunity in the over-built and under-utilized racquetball
court surplus at the Binghamton University, (BU) campus in upstate New
York, the local, off-campus squash community proposed to underwrite the
cost of converting four of those eight seldom used racquetball courts
into a squash center, capable of supporting a fledgling squash program
for both men’s and women’s teams; no small gift at a cost of nearly
$50,000.00.
The campus of BU with its nearly 15,000 undergraduates is one of four
university centers in the New York State family of 64 college
campuses. Within easy reach of over two dozen other universities
with squash programs, BU is positioned to field formidable teams and
would be the first New York university to do so.
In collegiate circles, BU is already known as a “public ivy” because of
its high academic standards and lofty credentials. What better
way for student athletes to expand their collegiate experience than
through recreational or competitive squash? What better sport to
allow athletic involvement in a healthy pastime that can be played and
enjoyed for ones entire life? The physical, social and political
benefits of the squash playing community are truly underestimated at a
university that has showcased primarily basketball when it comes to
sports and the beloved and unchangeable long range plan which is blind
to anything else.
Back to this plan.
A long time NCAA Division III School that had traditionally prided
itself on academics over athletics, Binghamton decided in the 90’s that
their focus would change slightly from pure academics to sports,
specifically basketball. This led to a strong push from Division
III designation to Division II and then to Division I in only 4 years.
Energizing a strong and locally supportive New York State senator as an
ardent cheerleader, BU was able to find 40 million dollar for
construction of a palatial event center to showcase the new basketball
program.
Then came the unfortunate incident of a BU basketball player beating a
fellow student nearly to death and into a coma before fleeing
back to his home country of Croatia, avoiding trail, immune from
extradition and prosecution. When eyebrows should have been
rising, the focus remained on “the plan.” After recruiting and
hiring former Georgetown basketball assistant coach Kevin Broadus in
2007, BU won its first ever basketball divisional championship just two
years later, only to have the entire program come crashing down around
allegations of grade fixing, illegal recruiting and improper admissions
to students not academically capable of the rigors of the BU
standards. Multiple players were arrested for a variety of things
from shop-lifting, assault and larceny to crack-cocaine drug
sales. Star athletes were being suspended, quitting or spending
their days in the legal system. All told, six players were released
from the team.
The Athletic Director was the first to go, followed by the University
President herself, on a fast track to “retire.” Finally coach
Broadus was suspended and subsequently fired, along with two assistant
coaches. As a parting gift, Broadus managed to finagle a
severance package of over 1 million dollars.
Incoming State University Chancellor Nancy Zimpher hired a friend’s
powerful law firm to “investigate” the abuses and the program.
The pitifully incomplete and woefully inadequate report was basically a
cut-and-paste job of already known information, billed out at over
$900,000.00 and telling the public nothing more than it already
knew. The investigation itself became the subject of a
mini-scandal all its own, seeming to squander almost $10,000.00 per
page to say nothing.
The following year, the Assistant coach struggled to manage the
beleaguered team to a 13-18 season and the team sat-out the post season
as a sort of self-imposed punishment many believe was actually at the
strong suggestion of the powers that be at the NCAA.
So, given this series of unfortunate events, this group of community
squash players thought that the time was right to get the attention of
the new and incoming leadership to see fresh and generous opportunity
that was not only good, wholesome, cost-free and worthy; but would take
the focus off of the troubling past issues everyone would just as soon
forget.
Incoming University President Harvey Stenger was gracious in allowing
an audience to hear the pitch for squash but he was quick to conclude
with that sad mantra, now repeating itself, “Sorry, not in our plan.”
The obsession to stay with this here-to-fore not working out so well
“plan” appears to be not only myopic but counter-productive.
Here is a suggestion for the masterminds at BU.
Obviously planners rule out everything but their own vision.
Because no one at BU has any experience with the magic of a collegiate
squash program, there is no connection, no interest and no concept of
the value in a scandal free sport whose existence predates that of the
formation of the NCAA. No one is suggesting that you change your;
so-how-is-that-working-for-you-now plan, whatever that grandiose
adventure in your mind might now be, but what you might consider is
this. The addition of something new to your holy plan, especially
when it costs nothing and creates opportunity where none existed before
just might make the right connections for your students as they learn
the ways of the world, the joys of competition, camaraderie and a
life-long sport that they can take with them wherever they go for as
long as they live. This is the sort of learning experience
institutions use to provide to their students, not just a select few on
the varsity basketball team, relegating everyone else to that of
spectators.
Sounds like a plan to me.
Bob Kingsley
Binghamton NY
Bobkingsley.com
Kingsley is the former Associate Director of US Squash
